Members of CCC, the CCC Foundation, the Flagstaff branch of Desert Financial Credit Union and the Desert Financial Foundation celebrate Desert Financial’s generous donation to students studying the trades at the college. Courtesy photo.
FLAGSTAFF — During a recent tour, Coconino Community College students Nick Bartek and Erika Acuna showed employees of Desert Financial Credit Union and Foundation Board Members around the Fourth Street Campus. This location is where most of the college’s Career and Technical Education courses are taught, which gives students the skills needed to garner well-paying jobs quickly.
Bartek plans to continue his education at Arizona State University to study sustainable building practices. Acuna is working on her requirements to become a registered nurse.
“I learned so much here,” Bartek told the group. “I got the hands-on experience I needed, and I can’t thank CCC enough.”
“I’m the first generation in my family to go to college,” Acuna said, adding that she chose CCC because it was smaller, affordable, and offered her the space to excel in her studies.
It is students like Bartek and Acuna that a new scholarship fund established by Desert Financial Foundation will assist.
“We know from experience that citizens with a quality education build strong communities,” said Carlissa Wright, Executive Director, Desert Financial Foundation. “That’s why we’re dedicated to helping students who want to pursue opportunities in higher education. The degree programs and certificates that CCC offers are providing the critically needed skills in the Flagstaff labor market.”
Fifteen students will each receive $1,000 scholarships for the 2023-24 school year at CCC. Qualifying students must have a minimum 2.5 grade point average, demonstrate financial need, and be a degree or certificate-seeking student in a Career and Technical Education discipline. CTE disciplines include Construction Technology, Nursing, Certified Nursing Assistant, Emergency Medical Service, Firefighter and more.
Dianna Sanchez, Chief Development Officer for the CCC Foundation, said, “The CCC Foundation is honored to receive support for our CTE programs. The commitment to education and to our students is inspirational, and we are incredibly grateful for the impact these scholarships will make.”
About Desert Financial Foundation
Founded in 2015, Desert Financial Foundation gives back to our community and multiple programs supporting education through fundraising. Some of these programs include our support of the 1 Darn Cool School for children receiving treatment at Phoenix Children’s and numerous student scholarship programs.
For more information about the CCC Foundation, visit www.coconino/edu/foundation.
About Coconino Community College
CCC has served residents across 18,000 square miles of Coconino County since 1991. The College has the goal of improving the lives of our residents through workforce development and higher education.
CCC provides affordable tuition and offers certificate programs and two-year associate degrees in academic and career fields. CCC also has programs that ease student transition to any of the three state universities, including the award-winning CCC2NAU.
CCC reaches out to the more rural portions of the County and Tribal Lands. Instructional sites offer classes through online, in-person and Zoom video conferencing classes to meet the needs of students in rural and remote areas. On average, 20 percent of CCC’s students are Native American learners.